from the bill
entitled "An act making appropriations for the construction, repair,
and preservation of certain works on rivers and harbors," which became
a law near the close of your last session, prompt me to express the hope
that no similar measure will be deemed necessary during the present
session of Congress. Indeed, such a measure would now be open to a
serious objection in addition to that which was lately urged upon your
attention. I am informed by the Secretary of War that the greater
portion of the sum appropriated for the various items specified in that
act remains unexpended.

Of the new works which it authorized, expenses have been incurred upon
two only, for which the total appropriation was $210,000. The present
available balance is disclosed by the following table:

Amount of appropriation by act of August 2, 1882 $18,738,875
Amount of appropriation by act of June 19, 1882 10,000
Amount of appropriation for payments to J.B. Eads 304,000
Unexpended balance of former appropriations 4,738,263
__________
23,791,138
Less amount drawn from Treasury between July 1, 1882,
and November 30, 1882 6,056,194
__________
17,734,944

It is apparent by this exhibit that so far as concerns most of the items
to which the act of August 2, 1882, relates there can be no need of
further appropriations until after the close of the present session.
If, however, any action should seem to be necessary in respect to
particular objects, it will be entirely feasible to provide for those
objects by appropriate legislation. It is possible, for example, that
a delay until the assembling of the next Congress to make additional
provision for the Mississippi River improvements might be attended with
serious consequences. If such should appear to be the case, a just bill
relating to that subject would command my approval.

This leads me to offer a suggestion which I trust will commend itself to
the wisdom of Congress. Is it not advisable that grants of considerable
sums of money for diverse and independent schemes of internal improvement
should be made the subjects of separate and distinct leg